Always Caroline
by kitty24079
Summary: This short fic takes place after Stefan calls Caroline in 7x09. A little wishful ff of what I wish had actually happened. I hope you guys enjoy!


p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""Let's find a way to save your brother," Caroline whispered softly to Stefan while lovingly reaching out to him, placing her hand on his shoulder./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Stefan couldn't believe it, all he had wanted was to avenge his mother and dead baby. He wasn't thinking about doing the logical thing, he just wanted to lessen the pain, to kill the monster who had caused him so much grief. The pain of what could have been, of what had happened to his mother after just getting her back lead him to act foolish. Damon was dead now because of it. Because of his foolish and rash actions. How could he have let this happen? He felt tears begin to form in his eyes, Damon was gone. Dead, and it was all his fault. Stefan turned, and looking at Caroline with tears in his eyes said, "it's my fault Caroline, he's dead..because of me."/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""No he's not Stefan, you were doing what you thought was right, no one can fault you for that. I know first hand how hard it is to lose a parent, and you were there for me through it all, let me be there for you. We'll find a way to get him back, I promise," Caroline reassured, tears forming in her eyes for the pain he was going through./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I wouldn't count on it," Nora drawled, appearing in front of them sword in hand. It was the sword with the phoenix stone in it. Stefan immediately stood up and placed himself protectively in front of Caroline./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I had to do it Nora, he killed my mother, you know as well as I we couldn't let him get away with that", Stefan pleaded./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""Maybe, but you should have left Mary Louise out of it, Nora screamed. Just because we don't agree on things, doesn't mean she hasn't been the most important person in my life for the past 500 years, you all will regret what you've done to her, she promised looking at Stefan and then Caroline pointendly./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Stefan knew with a dawning horror what she was planning. He had hurt the person she loved, and now she was going to hurt Caroline because of it, to hurt him like he'd hurt her./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""NO," Stefan screamed in horror as Nora sped towards Caroline, dagger aimed for her heart./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Everything slowed down. For something that was happening in just seconds, it seemed as if Stefan's whole world slowed down, like everything was happening in slow motion. He raced towards them, he might just die if she was hurt because of him. Before Nora could stab her, Stefan lunged in front of Caroline right as the blade was coming down. He wasn't even paying attention to that, for his whole world had narrowed down to Caroline Forbes, the girl whom he had come to love more than himself. His best friend, his confidant, his sober sponsor, his girlfriend. As the blade struck his heart, he had a moment of perfect clarity..he had been so foolish. He had let grief and rage for all that Julian had done cloud his mind. He almost got Caroline killed as he just had Damon. A sharp pain spread through his heart, he could feel death pulling at him, his life moments from being over. He knew what he wanted to be looking at before he met his fate. Caroline, always Caroline./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"He could see her looking at him in horror screaming his name over and over. Everything was out of focus, the world getting blurry. His mouth opening and closing as his life drained out of him, he fell into her, her arms grabbing him as he fell. Caroline was holding him protectively screaming and begging for him not to leave her, not again. With one last glance towards her he whispered slowly, sluggishly…"I love you so much."/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""It's gonna be okay Stefan, I promise I'll find a way to fix this, I have to fix this, Caroline sobbed as Stefan's head lay cushioned on her lap, his life dissipating with each passing second. Why did you do that Stefan, we should have tried to run, why!" she sobbed out brokenly./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"With a smile of peace, knowing he had saved her he whispered, "Remember, I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you?"/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"So many thoughts were racing through his mind in that last moment before the darkness pulled him under completely. But one word, one person stuck with him longer than the rest./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Caroline..Caroline..Caroli/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"His world went black./p


End file.
